Automatic fruit tucker



Oct. 22, 1935. H PAXTQN 2,017,987

AUTOMATIC FRUIT TUCKER original Filed May 24, 1952 2 sheets-snee't 1 i /5 n /8/ I-VMq (g /z FV E6' 35 .93 o 4/ /4 m Z f7 G. Z 92 Y 4/ 35 o 72 o .23 Z

93 36 o 85 d50 Z9 a d? 68 :i9 88 83 3 In lo 92 I O Z5 v/V T(\\f .DN Z9 l 75 f' 75 'A 75 Z4 25 /A/l/fA/rae 7% Nm w1 j, 52 ,5 /e//fzf @41m/V 'Armen/5V Oct. 22, 1935. H. PAx'roN AUTOMATIC FRUIT TUCKR I Original Filed May 24, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /M 7 v w WW @2% 4 o o 2 d 5 @m 7 Ov @Q 1 "f M wf 4 WMM W, f 5 YV v W. I ...h in 2 fu i? fw o ww .L

- TQQ/Vfl Patented Oct. 22, 1935 AUTOMATIC FRUIT TUCKER Hale Paxton, Redlands, Calif., assignor to Paxton ACredit Corporation, Sanger, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 24, 1932, Serial No. 613,224 Renewed May 7, 1935 18 Claims.

My invention relates to box lidding machinery, and particularly to machines for nailing lids on boxes crown packed with fresh fruit and the like.

In the commercial packing of fresh fruits and the likefor shipment to market, theproduct is placed in the box with what is known as a crown pack, the upper portion of the product in this pack forming a crown which extends above the upper edges of the box and the sides. In order to lid boxes thus packed it' is necessary to press the lid down onto the box, with the nal result that the lid is arched with the ends of the lid 'engaging the ends of the box to which the lid is then nailed.

It has become the practice in the lidding of boxes packed in this manner to provide means for tucking the crown portion of the pack in between the lid .and the box as the lid is being applied, thus preventing serious damage to the product which would result if it were pinched betweenthe box and the lid. This tucking apparatus is generally suspended with the lid nailing apparatus over the box to be lidded, and the suspended mechanism is either lowered onto the box or the .l

box is lifted into engagement with this mechanism so as tc apply the lid to the box.

In tucking mechanisms hitherto employed, which are automatically operated, the side flushers are mechanically operated in conjunction with the lidding operation so as to move inwardly and ush the crown fruit in at `the sides of the box just at the right moment when ythe overhead mechanism is disposed at a given distance from the upper edges of the box. Side fiushers operating in this manner, however, have not heretofore been adaptable to flushing in the overflow in boxes of different heights. f

It is accordingly an object of my invention Ato provide side flushing mechanism which operates automatically in connection with the lidding of a box, and which does not require adjustment in order to successfully operate upon boxes which vary in height. i

The manner of accomplishing the foregoing objects as well as further objects and advantages will be made manifest in thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

. the side flushing meansA of my invention.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated therein is incorporated with a lidding machine I0, this machine including a frame II having a Il base I2, side standards I3, a transverse bar I4, and a transverse back stop I5.

Mounted on the frame II is an elevator I8 which includes a hydraulic cylinder I9 having a piston rod 20, upon the upper end of which is l20 mounted a box supporting platform 2I, the latter being slidable vertically on the frame I I. The platform 2| has wheels 22 onto which a packed box 23 is adapted to be rolled from either side of the machine I0, automatic stops 24 being pro- 26 vided which hold this box 23 in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1. The details of construction of the elevator I8 maybe found in my copending application for U. S. Letters Patent Serial No. 577,388, filed January 18, 1932, for 30 box lidder.

Mounted on the frame II over the platform 2| so as to be in operative vertical alignment with the box 23 when it is properly positioned by the stops 24 on this `platform is a lid supporting and 8 5 nailing mechanism 30, this. mechanism having embodied with it means for tucking a crown portion of the fruit or the like packed in the box 2'3 inwardly as the lid is being applied to this box. To support the mechanism 30 the frame I I has 0 forwardly extending brackets 35 which are connected by a pair of heavy cylindrical bars 36. Slidably mounted on the bars 36 so as to be adjustable laterally is a pair of plates 38, these being provided with spacers (not shown) which Il unite these plates with the brackets 35 a desiredv distance from these brackets. i

Mounted on innei` faces of the plates 38) are nail chucks 40, each of which has a driver 4I, these being connected to a vertically recip'rocatl l0 ing driving head (notshown). Secured to the plates 38 are brackets 42, the inner ends of which support a crown sheet 43 and to the lower faces of which are secured lid flusherbars a5.

Extending downwardly from each of the fiushered to outward extensions of the arms 52.

bars 45 is a pair of legs 41, on the lower ends of which is pivotally mounted an end tucker 48, as shown in Fig. 5. Each of the tuckers 48 includes an inner spacer 58, outer spacers 5|, and end arms 52, a rod 53 extending through the spacers 58 and 5|, the arms 52, and lower ends of ,the legs 41 to pivotally unite these elements. Pivotally mounted between the inner ends of the arms 52 is a tucker roller 55, and inner portions 56 of the spacers 5| are formed to extend outwardly over the roller 55, as shown in Fig. 5. At opposite ends of the mechanism 3D yieldable lid centering arms 68 are spring mounted so as to be urged inwardly into the position in which these are illustrated in Fig. 5.

Swingably mounted on the bars 36 is a pair of side flushers 10, each of which includes a frame 1| having hubs 12 from which side rods 13 extend downwardly, these rods having collars 14 on their lower ends. Slidable on the rods 13 are side flusher plates 15 which arev connected by contractile springs v16 to the collars 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Extending inwardly from the hubs 12 are apertured arms 13, the purpose of which will be made evident hereinafter. Formed on the side flusher-plates 15 and extending upwardly therefrom are lid guides 19. The side flushers 18 are positioned longitudinally on the bars 36 by collars 82 which are-rigidly fixed to the bars 36 and have arms 83 extending upwardly therefrom. Rockably mounted on the upwardly extending arms 83 are levers 8 5, the outer ends of which are pivotally connected to links 86, the lower ends of these links being pivotally connect- The inner ends of the levers 85 are pivotally connected to rods 88 which extend downwardly through the apertures in the arms 18 and have nuts on their lower ends which confine contractile springs 89, so that these springs press upward against the arms 18 of the fiusher hubs 12. Provided on the rods 88 are collars 92 which are not only adapted to bear downwardly against the arms 18, but tend Ato swing the flushers `1|J into their outward positions in which they are shown in Fig. 2.- 'Ihis action results from the pressure of contractile springs 93 which are connected at their opposite ends to the rearmost pair of levers 85 and to the transverse bar I4, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

When the term presser head is used in the claims it is to be understood as broadly indicating l that overhead structure of the machine which cooperates with the box supporting table in pressing the lid onto a box resting on the table. In the illustrated embodiment the presser head might be said to consist of the brackets 35, bars 36, plates 38, brackets 42, and possibly the crown sheet 43.'

Operation l The operation of my invention is as follows: The tuckers 48 and flushers 10 and their connecting mechanism are positioned `as shown in Fig. 1 during the intervals between lidding operations. When a packed box, such as the box 23,'is to be lidded it is run onto the supporting platform 2| from a suitable conveyor (not shown), and is stopped by the stops 24 in the position in which it is shown in this gure. Whenxthe box 23 is thus positioned the end pieces 96 of the box are disposed directly beneath the end tucker rollers 55. The back stop |5 positions the box laterally so that sides 91 of the box 23 are disposed inwardly equal distances from beneath the side usher plate 15, as clearly shown in Fig'. 2.

For purposes of illustration, the box 23 is shown packed with fruit, such as apples, these extending above the box to form a crown 88, this crown being higher at the center than at the end, as

shown in Fig. l. 5

With the box 23 thus positioned on the platform 2|, the elevator |8 is actuated to lift the box, thus bringing the box ends 96 into contact with the end tucker rollers 55. 'Ihis causes these rollers to swing inwardly around the end tucker l0 shaft 53 and draws the rods 86 downwardly, thus side rows of fruit in the crown 98 and press these 20 inward over the upper edges of the box sides 81. As the box 23 continues to rise the upper edges of the sides 81 engage the fiusher plates 15 and lift these plates upwardly against the tension of the spring 16 until the box arrives at its uppermost 25K lid applying position in which the lid |88 is pressed onto the box 23 so that the lid conforms to the crown sheet 43 and the ends of the lid rest against the ends 96 of the box 23 just beneath the nail chucks 40. The position of the box at this 30 time is shown in Figs. 3 and fi. The nailing mechanisml not shown, is now actuated so as to move the nail drivers 4| downwardly and upwardly, thus nailing the ends of the lid onto the ends of the box. The elevator I8 may now be lowered 35 either under manual control or automatically, and the box 23, now lidded, is discharged from the platform 2| onto a suitable conveyor, not shown, provided to receive it.

It is now to be noted that the swinging inward 49 of the side ilushers 10, accomplished as it is by the movement of the end tuckers responsive to their engagement with the ends of the box, takes place when the sides of the box have moved upwardly into a given relation with the side 45 flushers regardless of the height of the box being lidded. This is a great advantage where boxes of varying heights are packed and forwarded to the lidder I0 without these boxes being segregated. Thisv is a common condition in 50 they` apple packing industry where largenumbers of half boxes are packed, as well as full boxes, from the same run of fruit.

The inward swinging of the end tuckers 48 results from the engagement of the end pieces 55 96 of the box with the tucker rollers 55 as the box moves upwardly. Owing to the fact the rollers 55 are normally disposed some distance below and inwardly from the axes on which the tuckers 48 are pivoted, the lifting of the rollers 55 80 swings these inwardly against any portion of the crown pack 88 extending over the box ends 96 so as to tuck this crown inwardly from over these box ends. It is furthermore noted that this operation takes place as the cover is being 85 pressed onto the box 23. As the box moves on upwardly to completely press this cover with its ends .on the ends of the box, as shown in Fig. 4, the end tucker rollers 55 swing outwardly as shown in this view against the outer faces of 70 the box ends 98. As the box descends after the nailing of its cover to the box the springs 83 return the tucking mechanisms to their normal position. In using the term flusher hereinabove and in the claims to dene the side over- 75 flow gathering members of my invention it is to be understood that this term is to be broadly construed as covering any member which shifts overflow inwardly from over the side of the box.

While I have shown and described herein only a single preferred embodiment of my invention, it is t'o be understood that many changes and modifications might be made in this without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a lidding machine the combination of: means for supporting a crown packed box; means for pressing a lid onto said box; means for tucking end portions of said crown inwardly between said box and said lid during said pressing operation; means for flushing side portionsv of said crown between said box and said lid during said pressing operation; and means for operating said side flushing means from said end tucking means. f

2. A combination as in claim 1 in which said end-tucker means is actuated by contact with upper edges of said box ends and relative vertical movement between said box supporting means and said end tucking means.

3. A combination as in claim 1 in which said end tucker means is actuated by contact with upper edges of said box ends and relative vertical movement between said box supporting means and said end tucking means and in which said side flushing means operates by swinging inwardly and yieldably resting on upper edges of the sides of said box.

4. In a lidding machine the combination of:4`

supporting means for a crown packed box'; end tucker supporting means; end tuckers pivoted on said end tucker supporting means on axes separated a greater distance than the length of said box, said end tuckers extending downwardly and inwardly from'said axes; means for moving one of said.A supporting Ameans toward the other to cause said end tuckers to contact upper edges of ends of said box, thus swinging said end tuckers inwardly;- side fiushers mounted alongside said box; and means connecting said end tuckers with said side fiushers to cause actuation of said end tuckers to actuate said side fiushers.

5. In a lidding machine the combination of:

supporting means for a crown packed box; end

tucker supporting means; end tuckers pivoted on said end tucker'i'spporting means on axes separated a greater distance than the length of said box, said end tuckers extending downwardly and inwardly from said axes; means for moving one of said supporting means toward the other to cause said end tuckers to contact upper edges of ends of said box, thus swinging said end tuckers inwardly; side ushers mounted alongside said box; and means connecting said end tuckers with said side lfiushers whereby the swinging inward of said end tuckers yieldably swings said side fiushers inwardly.

6. AV combination as in claim 1 in which said side flushing means includes fiushers mounted to swing inwardly over the lsides of said box, means4 engaging the outer faces of said sides to stop said swinging, and yieldable means permitting said side fiushers to assume the motion of said box upon said fiushers contacting upper edges of said sides.

7. A combination as in claim 1 in which means is provided for returning said end and side fiushers to their normal positions upon the completion of a lidding operation.

8. A combination as in claim 1 in which both `said end tucking and side flushing means are chine above a bo-x as it is received on said box supporting means, said tucking means and side flushing means also both being pivotally mounted horizontally and adapted to swing inwardly to accomplish their tucking and flushing functions.

10. A combination as in claim 1 in' which the pressing of said lid on said box and the actuation of said end tucke: i is accomplished by the elevating of said box supporting means.

1l. In a lidding machine the combination of: means for supporting a crown packed box; means for pressing a lid onto said box to bring ends of said lid against ends of said box with said lid arched upwardly; side flushing means adapted to move inwardly to press a side portion of said crown inwardly from over the sides of said box and maintain said flushing relation as said lid is pressed onto said box as aforesaid; and means for operating said flushing means to accomplish said flushing operation, said operating means automatically adapting said .flushing operation to boxes varying substantially in height.

12. A combination as in claim 11 in which said side flushing means is mounted above said box supporting means to yield vertically on a lid supporting means; and means-for moving one of said supporting means towards the other to press said lid on said box, said flushing means being operated to contact an upper edge of a side of said box and yield relatively to said lid supporting means during the pressing of the lid onto the box.

13. In a lidding machine the combination of: a support for a crown packed box; an overhead structure; means on said structure for pressing a lid onto said box; side fiushers on said structure; means causing relative vertical movement between said support and said structure to press a lid onto said box by springing the lid ends down to the box ends while the middle of the lid bulges Vupwardly to accommodate the crown of the pack;

. the overflow product inward from over the sides of said box, the fiushers thus being caused automatically to function uniformly on boxes varying in height.

14. In a lidding machine the combination of: a support for a crown packed box; means for pressing a lid onto said box; side ushers having relative vertical movement towards said box during said lid pressing operation; and means responsive to the top of the box approaching within a vgiven distance of said side fiushers to move s aid side fiushers inwardly to gather the overflow product inward from over the sides of said box, the fiushers thus being caused automatically to function uniformly on boxes varying in height.

15. In combination: a box supporting table; a presser head; means accomplishing relative vertical movement between said table and saidl presser head to press a lid onto a box on said table; a side usher mounted on said presser head; means shifting said flusher inwardly into a given flushing position over a. side of said box in' timed relation with said relative movement, to press overflow product inward from over said side; and means permitting relative vertical movement between said presser head and said flusher to allow said flusher to remain in a' position over said side after said usher has been shifted into flushing position as aforesaid and duringy the consummation of said lid pressing operation. i

16. In combination: a box supporting table; a presser head; means accomplishing relative vertical movement between said table and said presser head to press a lid-onto a box on said table; side lusher support means mounted on said presser head for movement inwardly and outwardly 'relative thereto; a side flusher mounted on said support means for sliding movement up and down thereon; means shifting said lusher support means inwardly in timed relation with said relative movement to cause said flusher to move into a flushing position over a side of said box when separated vertically from said side a relatively short distance, said side iiusher thereupon engaging said side and having sliding movement relative to said iiusher support means during a continuation "of the aforesaid relative vertical movement in the consummation of said lid pressing operation.

17. In combination: a box supporting table; a presser head; means accomplishing relative vertical movement between said table and said presser head to press a lid onto a box on said table; side flusher support means pivotally mounted on said presser head; a side flusher mounted on said support means for vertical slid- 5 ing movementrelative thereto; and means for swinging said flusher support means inwardly in timed relation with said relative movement to bring said flusher into flushing position over a side of said box justbefore said relative vertical movement results in Contact between said side and said usher, said Contact causing said usher to slide vertically upon said flusher support means during the consummation of said lid pressing operation.

18. In combination: a box supporting table; a presser head; means for elevating said table tol wards said head to press a lid onto a box on said table; side iiusher support means pivotally mounted on said presser head; a side iiusherio mounted on said support means for vertical sliding movement relative thereto; and means for swinging said usher support means inwardly in timed relation with the upward movement of said table to bring said iiusher into a iiushing position just above a side of said box, said side then rising into contact with said usher causing the latter to slide upwardly relative to said support means and remain in iiushing position relative to said box, as when contacted, during the consummation of said lid pressing operation.

HALE PAXTON. 

